RNLI Smoky Fish Pie with Crispy Courgette Rosti

RNLI Fish Supper is an annual charity event to help raise funds for their invaluable, lifesaving work. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it saves lives. You invite your friends or family, serve a delicious Fish Supper, and collect donations for the RNLI. This year, Fish Supper is happening this coming weekend, and we hope that our deliciously sustainable fish pie recipe inspires a few people to get cooking and fundraising.

Start by grating the courgettes on the roughest setting on your box grater or with the grater attachment of your food processor. Put the grated courgette in a sieve and sprinkle with the salt. Leave to drain over a bowl or the sink for at least an hour. This will drain off any excess liquid from the courgettes, giving them a firmer texture which will help them to crisp up in the oven.

While the courgettes are draining, poach the Hake. Place the fillets in a deep frying pan along with the bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic and onions and cover with water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the fish has lost its translucency and is flaking away from the skin. Remove to one side to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Next, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and when it starts to bubble, stir in the flour to form a paste. Cook, stirring all the while for a couple of minutes to remove the raw taste from the flour. Pour in the milk and whisk constantly for 6-10 minutes, until the sauce has the consistency of thick double cream. Stir in the grated nutmeg, white wine and smoked water. Fold in the chives, kale and mussels.

Butter a 20x30cm baking dish and flake the hake into the dish in large pieces. Pour over the white sauce with the mussels and kale and arrange the grated courgettes on top. Bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes, until the courgette is crispy and golden and the pie is bubbling around the sides.